Environmentally Friendly Fabrication of High-Efficient Fe-ZnO/Citric Acid-Modified Cellulose Composite and the Enhancement of Photocatalytic Activity in the Presence of H[sub.2]O[sub.2]

• Published in: Catalysts 2022-11, Vol.12 (11)
• Main Authors: Fiszka Borzyszkowska, Agnieszka, Sulowska, Agnieszka, Zekker, Ivar, Karczewski, Jakub, Bester, Kai, Zielińska-Jurek, Anna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic resources; Cellulose; Green market; Metronidazole; Poland
• ISSN: 2073-4344; 2073-4344
• DOI: 10.3390/catal12111370

In the present study, a novel Fe-ZnO/citric acid-modified cellulose composite (x%Fe-ZnO-y%CAC) was synthesized using an environmentally friendly hydrothermal method. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen physisorption, and electrochemical and photocurrent density analyses. The influence of the additives from the series of x%Fe-ZnO-y%CAC photocatalysts with Fe content from 0 to 5% and CAC content from 0 to 80% on photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen (IBU) under simulated solar light was investigated. The photocatalyst 0.5%Fe-ZnO-40%CAC showed high photocatalytic activity of 0.0632 min[sup.−1] first-order kinetic rate constant and 46% TOC reduction of IBU under simulated solar light irradiation. Additionally, H[sub.2]O[sub.2]-assisted photocatalytic process was investigated for facilitating the IBU degradation in the presence of 0.5%Fe-ZnO-40%CAC; the first-order kinetic rate constant was 2.7 times higher compared to the process without addition of H[sub.2]O[sub.2]. Moreover, the effect of radical scavengers was examined to explain the degradation mechanism of IBU by synthesized photocatalysts supported with H[sub.2]O[sub.2]. The demonstrated system provides a low-cost and green approach to improve the photocatalytic activity of x%Fe-ZnO-y%CAC photocatalysts.